Warm-up laps for Renault in the Spanish heat

Barely back from the German Grand Prix where Nelson Piquet secured the team’s first podium of the season, Renault was back on track today to begin a four-day work session at the Jerez circuit in the south of Spain.

For this first day of running, the team enjoyed more than summery temperatures. It was Romain Grosjean, the team’s test driver, who kicked off this first running session at the wheel of the R28-04 chassis. It was his second day of testing at the wheel of a Formula 1 car, following his first day of running in Barcelona last month.

The grip level of the track being relatively low due to the heat, the team sought to make Romain feel comfortable in the R28, to find his bearings on this circuit, and was able in the afternoon to evaluate several elements. At the end of the session, the team can be pleased to have completed its program without difficulty and to have allowed Romain to cover 71 laps.

Nelson Piquet will take over tomorrow and Thursday to delve into the core of the development program planned for this session. He will hand over to Romain on Friday for the last day of testing scheduled this week.

Romain Grosjean – Test driver

It was the first time I was driving at Jerez, I had to find my bearings this morning and I was able to make progress in setting up the car by improving it throughout the day. It’s always just as impressive from the cockpit, and I was happy to be able to work with the team once again.

« It was a little bit difficult this morning because it was very hot, but I really enjoyed riding on this track that includes interesting fast and slow sequences. I hope to take advantage of the next few days to learn as much as possible. »

Christian Silk – Chief Test Engineer:

« It was very hot today! It was our second day of working with Romain, and he did a great job on a circuit he was discovering. »

« We focused on making him feel comfortable in the car, despite the track conditions being difficult due to the heat. As a result, the car was tricky. Driving in hot conditions is always challenging, but this experience could prove useful for upcoming races, especially in Hungary, where it can get very hot. »

According to a Renault F1 press release